CloudFactory

What is CloudFactory?

CloudFactory was founded in 2010 by Canadian software developer Mark Sears, who relocated to Kathmandu, Nepal with his wife Tricia to build a mission-driven technology company rooted in **Impact Sourcing** — creating professional, well-paid digital work for talent in emerging markets that would otherwise be excluded from the global digital economy. The company has since grown into one of the largest human-in-the-loop AI data services providers, delivering data curation, image and video annotation, NLP labeling, document processing, QA, and model evaluation for 700+ AI customers across automotive, retail, agriculture, healthcare, financial services, and computer-vision robotics. CloudFactory's workforce of ~7,000 cloud workers operates primarily out of Kathmandu (Nepal) and Nairobi / Kisumu (Kenya), supported by a global team across the UK, US, Nepal, and Kenya. In January 2024 Mark Sears transitioned from CEO to Executive Chairman and Kevin Johnston became CEO; mid-2024 leadership additions included Karen Cambray as CFO, David Hadsell as CRO, and Jim Haring as COO. CloudFactory's 2021 $65M growth equity round was led by FTV Capital, marking the company's shift toward institutional backing.

Mission & values

Connect 1 million workers in emerging markets to professional, well-paid digital work — building careers, communities, and quality AI data at the same time through Impact Sourcing.

Qualifications

CloudFactory operates two very different recruiting tracks. Track 1 — **Cloud Workers in Nepal and Kenya**: data annotation, labeling, QA, and model-evaluation work. These roles are W-2-style local employment with structured training, learning pathways, and career progression; entry-level roles are open to candidates who pass aptitude tests and complete the onboarding program. Track 2 — **Corporate / Engineering / GTM**: full-time roles in product, engineering, ML, customer success, sales, and ops based out of the UK (Reading), US, Nepal, or Kenya hubs. Many corporate roles are hybrid or fully-remote within their home country. Applications go through cloudfactory.com/careers.

Leadership

Hiring process

1. 1

   Apply at cloudfactory.com/careers

   Select a role (Cloud Worker track or Corporate track) that matches your country and experience.

2. 2

   Aptitude / screening

   For Cloud Worker roles: aptitude test + basic computer-literacy check. For Corporate: recruiter phone screen.

   About 7 days

3. 3

   Skills assessment

   For Cloud Worker: domain-specific test (annotation sample, NLP labeling, etc.). For Corporate: technical / functional interviews.

   About 7 days

4. 4

   Interview loop

   Cloud Worker: hiring panel + culture fit. Corporate: hiring manager, team, leadership rounds.

   About 10 days

5. 5

   Offer + onboarding

   Cloud Workers receive structured onboarding + learning pathways covering tooling, quality standards, and specialization tracks.

   About 7 days

Funding

Awards & recognition

• $65M growth equity round led by FTV Capital · 2021

  CloudFactory

• 700+ AI customers served · 2026

  CloudFactory

• 7,000 cloud workers across Nepal and Kenya · 2026

  CloudFactory

• B Corp Certified — leading Impact Sourcing operator · 2020

  B Lab

Company information

• Industry: AI Training Data / Human-in-the-Loop / Impact Sourcing
• Location: Reading, UK
• Founded: 2010
• Employees: 7,000
• Website: www.cloudfactory.com ↗
• LinkedIn: Company page ↗
• X / Twitter: Profile ↗

Frequently asked questions